The unglamorous life of a modern spy in the new ‘El Dorado of espionage’

South African report chronicles the movements of one of scores of foreign intelligence officers who have flocked to Africa in recent years

The man’s behaviour was certainly odd. When driving, he would vary his car speed between 30km an hour and 90km, pulling up occasionally by the side of the road for several minutes for no apparent reason. When he put his rubbish out, he would first cut the bottom of the bags so the contents would spill if anyone tried to rummage through them. Leaving his office, he would walk once around the block before heading off in the direction he wanted to go.

The man under surveillance by South African intelligence was one of scores of foreign intelligence officers who have flocked to the new “El Dorado” of global espionage in recent years.

Related: Africa is new ‘El Dorado of espionage’, leaked intelligence files reveal

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